First Germany-Russia Talks
Germany and Russia Hold First Talks Since the 2022 Ukraine Invasion
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German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held their first meeting since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, talking for about 20 minutes on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Wadephul urged Moscow to help restore Black Sea grain exports amid food shortages and to halt what he described as escalating threats toward Germany, Europe and NATO. He said alleged hybrid attacks, including an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport that Germany blames on Russia, would not weaken Berlin’s support for Ukraine but would further damage bilateral ties; Moscow rejected the accusation. The meeting took place amid reciprocal diplomatic measures and sharp public disagreements, and Lavrov later defended Russia’s war and criticized the West in his U.N. address.
Key Points
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The two sides gave differing accounts of who initiated the meeting: Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Germany requested it, while coverage noted that the question of who sought the talks quickly became a point of dispute.
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Wadephul said he was open to improving relations, but only if Russia’s leadership showed a genuine willingness to end the war in Ukraine.
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The diplomatic fallout over the Leipzig incident included Germany closing Russia’s consulate in Bonn and Russia closing Germany’s consulate in St. Petersburg; Germany also shut a Russian cultural center in Berlin.
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In his U.N. speech, Lavrov opposed Germany or Japan gaining permanent seats on the Security Council and argued that a “fairer, multipolar world order” was emerging.
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